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Act 4, Scene 2
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Titus Andronicus, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Revenge
Violence and Justice
Children
Rome, Romans, and Barbarians
Grief and Mourning
Summary
Analysis
Titus, Marcus, Young Lucius, and Marcus’ son Publius are gathered with arrows that have inscriptions on them addressed to the gods. They shoot arrows into the sky as a way of asking for divine help, specifically asking for the divine personification of Justice to come to them. Marcus suggests they try to aim so that the arrows land in the royal courtyard. Marcus and Publius are concerned for Titus (who appears to be mad) and Marcus says that Titus’ “sorrows are past remedy.” Titus shoots more arrows inscribed with addresses to various gods and says that he is ready for revenge. A “clown” (a rustic peasant) enters and Titus writes a message that he has the clown deliver to Saturninus.
Now that Titus’ sorrows are beyond any remedy that could be gained or achieved through mourning, he is entirely devoted to seeking revenge. Through their arrows addressed to the gods, Titus and his family invoke a divine ideal of justice, seeing their revenge on Tamora and her sons as divinely justified. Of course, Tamora, whose own son Titus killed, sees herself as being just as justified.
Themes
Literary Devices
